Ammaji Art Gallery

I Sunil Kr Srivastava, a male in my mid fifties from Central India is writing this letter to introduce you to my art work. I am a Canvas Artist with a focus on God Paintings with a powerful message thru holy mantras as encrypted in each painting.

This is a Unique Art and one of its kind. These paintings are hand crafted by me (as a single artist) from designing to drawing to coloring to writing of all important holy mantras to finishing and framing. God is one but has many forms and I enjoy putting his various forms on canvas.

I started making such paintings some 10+ years back. I was inspired to do so by my mother, who herself was a very religious lady. She saw this hidden talent in me. She was my inspiration, my ideal who not only taught me the art of worshiping but also made me pay my gratitude by spreading the god’s words thru this powerful tool – “Canvas”. Today these paintings are enjoyed and appreciated all over the world and as a reward I get appreciation and encouragement calls and messages from art lovers and dignitaries worldwide. They want to know and learn more about this art form. They ask me questions like - what inspired me to do this ? When and how this changed from a mere hobby to a profession ? What drives and motivates me to go on and on relentlessly. How do I concentrate for days and days on one painting. ? and many more.

Each painting goes thru its own course as I listen and chant the same mantras that I write on the canvas, 108 times. In Sanskrit, ‘man’ means mind and ‘tra’ means ‘to free from’ so ‘mantras is literally a tool to free the mind. Traditionally mantras are chanted in cycles of 108 repetitions. Why the number 108 ?

According to the vedic scriptures, our physical and subtle bodies contain 108 major nadis, or energy channels. When we chant a mantra 108 times, that sound vibration can fill all of the energy lines in our bodies and balance them.

Another theory behind the number 108 is - Because there are nine planets and twelve constellations. When nine planets revolve around the twelve constellations, it brings 108 kinds of changes. If there is anything wrong in these changes, it can be rectified with the positive energy of the mantras.

Similarly there are a few other theories and believes behind 108 mantras. This is one reason why a holy mala (a string of prayer beads) has 108 beads. I feel connected to these believes and theories and follow the same process to pass on the positive energy that I generate while making these paintings. Therefore calling the process as “Siddhi”.

Its important to understand what "Siddhi" means OR what I understand “Siddhi” is -

v When a mantra sadhana is done for fulfillment of specific sankalpa/vow taken, then accomplishment of that sankalpa is considered the siddhi of the mantra.v When a mantra sadhana is done with a desire to attain the shakti/power associated with that mantra/deity, then accomplishment of such power is considered as Siddhi.

May god help me, help others feel energetic and pass on the powerful message as hidden in each mantra that would in turn help them attain power and glory in its true sense.

Each paintings take anywhere from 20 to 30 days, (few even more) depending on work, size etc. I am truly thankful to god for granting me this unique talent and choosing me as a special one to spread the positive energy and happiness thru my paintings. I wish everyone good luck and may god help them and their near and dear ones attain happiness in life.